CHICAGO (WGN) — If you’ve driven around Humboldt Park or Logan Square, there’s a good chance you’ve seen John Vergara’s creations. He has designed and led teams of artists and volunteers to create huge, colorful murals that bring life to otherwise blank city walls.
One of his most well-known projects, The Legends Mural on West Pierce Avenue, was completed in 2018 and honors the lives and contributions of four Puerto Rican trailblazers.
“It wasn’t supposed to be this big. It took us about three weeks with some of the youth that I work with in violence prevention programming,” Vergara said.
Working with at-risk youth is an important part of Vergara’s mission.
Having grown up in Humboldt Park, just blocks from where The Legends Mural now stands, he draws inspiration from the generations of Chicago muralists who came before him.
“Artists like John Webber, Hector Duarte from Pilsen,” Vergara said.
He says there are many young men and women who are talented and creative in Chicago, they just need the right outlet.
“They need someone to give them a push, and that’s how it happens,” Vergara said. “They don’t have any experience and next thing you know they’re painting a side of a building. It leaves them with a sense of pride.”
Vergara says he’s proud of how far his neighborhood and the Puerto Rican community have come.
“The neighborhood has changed. It’s a lot safer, it did have a rough patch, but people are coming back and buying property and opening businesses, which is great to see,” Vergara said.
He continues to work with community leaders and elected officials to fund and design new projects. His vision is to create a mural corridor that celebrates not only Latino icons but also Chicago’s cultural touchstones like house music and poetry.
A fan of vintage aesthetics, Vergara also incorporates old boom boxes into many of his smaller indoor pieces.
Vergara says he has no plans to slow down and is always looking for his next canvas.
“I don’t ever see myself stopping until the man upstairs says it’s time to chill, so until then I’m going to continue being creative,” he said.
Dan Ponce
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